Rocket Lamb
by Canadian Crow
Summary: Judy wasn't the only kid from Bunnyburrow to reach for the stars.


"Judy! It's so great to finally get a hold of you!"

 _"Sharla!"_ Judy smiled at her old friend over the video screen _. "It's great to hear from you, too. I'd have thought you'd have more important things to do than play phone tag with me."_

"And miss my chance to speak to the Hero of Zootopia? No way."

Groaning, Judy ran a paw over her face. _"Please don't call me that."_

"You gotta admit, it's a pretty impressive title. You think they're going to build a statue of you?" She teased. "You should totally introduce yourself that way, though. Like...Hi, I'm Judy Hopps, Hero of Zootopia!"

 _"Now you're actually starting to sound like my dad."_ Judy chuckled. _"I'm serious, though. Do you really have the time to chat with me? You've probably got a lot going on right now."_

"You're not wrong, but all work and no play makes Sharla a dull little lamb." Sharla laughed. "Besides, we've known each other since we were in diapers. When I heard what happened, how could I not reach out to you?"

 _"That's so sweet, Sharla. Thank you."_

"Plus, since I've already read all the news articles about the Nighthowler situation," The sheep smiled deviously. "What _I_ want to know about is that fox of yours."

Judy blinked, caught off-guard. _"What? Nick?"_

"Mm-hm."

 _"He's a friend."_

"A friend." Sharla deadpanned. "Right."

 _"You actually called me to talk about this? I mean, this has to be the mother of all long-distance calls."_

"Yes, I did. I made a special request to talk to my childhood friend, the Hero of Zootopia." She grinned as Judy rolled her eyes again. "And despite the absurd level of effort it took to get a hold of you, here we are. Now, tell me all about the fox you're making doe-eyes at on the cover of every Zootopian newspaper."

 _"I am NOT making doe-eyes at Nick."_

Sharla looked skeptical. "Judy, would you say that attention to detail is important in your line of work?"

 _"I...what?"_ The sudden shift in topic seemed to put Judy a little off-balance. _"I guess so."_

"What about analytical thinking and evidence-based deduction?"

 _"Of course, but..."_

"Well, they're pretty critical for my job, too." Sharla interrupted. "So, between the two of us, I'm wondering who you think you're fooling."

 _"You're not gonna let this go, are you?"_

"Judy, I work in the most rigid and sterile work environment you can imagine with a half-dozen _male_ scientists. I crave gossip!"

 _"You're incorrigible, you know that?"_

"And you're trying to change the subject."

 _"Seriously, Nick is just a friend."_

"Remember back in the eleventh grade when you said you didn't want Buck Peters to ask you to homecoming, but you actually desperately wanted him to do exactly that?"

 _"I wasn't desperate. But yes, I remember."_

"You have the exact same expression on your face when you insist Nick it 'just a friend'."

 _"He really is just a friend, Sharla."_ Judy insisted, then added. _"But, y'know, if he DID want to ask me out, I probably wouldn't say no..."_

"That's my Judy."

 _"If you're so curious, you should come visit Zootopia. I think you'll like it."_

"You do make it sound interesting. And I haven't been that far north since I finished school." Sharla admitted. "On the other paw, you two could come visit me in Cape Caracal."

 _"Both of us?"_

"Why not? We have lots of beaches, and beaches mean bikinis." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "I doubt he'd object to that."

 _"I'm not sure...how do I know you won't take off again before I get there?"_ Judy teased.

"Hey! I _do_ have a life outside of work, you know. Unlike some bunnies I might mention."

 _"Your job is a bit more impressive than what I'm doing five days a week, Sharla."_

"I guess. Mostly I just hang around the office and try not to break anything." The sheep gave her a playful wink. "You have to face big, bad criminals everyday."

 _"Come on, you're..."_ Judy gestured at her in amusement.

"I know, I know." The sheep admitted. "But for some of the folks at home, compared to the Hero of Zootopia, I'm just a little lamb who grew wings."

 _"Sharla, that's ridicu..."_

"Oh shush. I love what I do, and if anyone doesn't agree than that's _their_ problem." Sharla continued, grinning. "And for the record, I _have_ seen Zootopia before. Heck, I'm only about 250 miles away; not much further than Bunnyburrow."

Judy stared incredulously at her old friend across the video connection. _"Sharla, there's a big difference between 211 miles by train and 250 miles straight up."_

"Okay." Grinning, the black-wooled sheep gave herself a gentle push away from the video terminal. Floating gracefully across the communications module, she reached out and pulled herself toward the nearest viewing port. "I'll give you that one."

As the International Space Station crested the horizon, Sharla watched as the first rays of sunlight began to appear. Looking down, she could see the terminator line as it crept slowly along the planet's surface, gradually changing night into day for the billions of mammals below her.

 _"It must be so beautiful up there."_

On one side of the line, cities were visible only as millions upon millions of tiny lights. On the other side, the sun bathed everything in golden light and the whole earth was laid out before her like a map. And for countless light years in every other direction, trillions and trillions of stars twinkled in the darkness.

No matter how many times she watched it, the sight never failed to take her breath away.

"Honey, you've got no idea."

 _"When will you be coming back?"_

"About eight weeks." She sighed. "I tell ya, Judy. It can be lonely out in space."

 _"Looking forward to getting your hooves back on solid ground, then?"_

"Yes and no. I miss the earth so much sometimes, but when I'm up here looking out over the whole world, it's just..."

 _"Like a dream come true?"_ The bunny ventured.

"Exactly."

 _"I know the feeling."_

"Commander, Doctor Kieran needs you in module two."

Sharla nodded to the wolf floating in a nearby airlock, then smiled apologetically at the screen. "Sorry, Judy. No rest for the weary."

 _"I understand."_ Judy assured her. _"Go do your thing. I'll talk to you when you get home."_

"It's a deal." Reaching out, Sharla ended the transmission. "Okay, Lieutenant. Let's go see what the good doctor needs."

* * *

 _And I think it's gonna be a long long time_

 _'Till touch down brings me round again to find_

 _I'm not the lamb they think I am at home, oh no no no_

 _I'm a rocket lamb_


End file.
